The processing of college admission application forms described below is illustrative of the current state of forms processing. Students applying to colleges and universities typically complete a separate paper application for each institution to which they seek admission. Each application is then mailed to the corresponding institution along with an application fee.
Many institutions would like to simplify the application process by allowing students to apply over the Internet. Although an Internet application allows an institution to process the application information electronically, a student is required to re-enter the same information for each subsequent application to a different institution or to the same institution for a different academic term. Moreover, if the institution wishes to change the application form, the institution must typically revise the source code that creates the application form, thereby making changes to the application form expensive and inconvenient.
One could reduce redundancy in the application process by allowing students to complete a single, generic application provided by a third party who would then transmit the application to any designated institution. Such systems, however, would make it impossible for institutions to customize their applications form. In an environment where schools are competing for top students, the image that a school projects to potential students is important, and a customized application can help project the image that the school wishes to create. The questions that a school asks on its application reflect the values of the institution. Many schools want information different from that which would be on a generic form. Thus, it is unacceptable to many institutions to use a generic application form.
Most institutions continue, therefore, to use primarily paper applications or their own on-line applications, with the disadvantages described above. Moreover, the institution must then process the application fee for on-line applications, which may require that the institution have some expertise in electronic commerce.